


Hybrid

by beware_of_fangirling



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Original, Angel!Castiel, Cliffhangers, F/M, M/M, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Season 11, Started before season 9, Swearing, human!dean, keeping secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-03 20:10:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1755965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beware_of_fangirling/pseuds/beware_of_fangirling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is always wrong for the Winchesters, and right now the pain in their ass is Crowley. When the King of Hell decided he wants to be none other than God himself, it's up to Sam and Dean to save the day-again. However, when their hunt for Crowley brings them into the path of another, everything they thought they knew about the world changes. There is always a new surprise in store for the Winchesters.</p><p>¤ON HOLD¤</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. I started this before season 9 so Cas is an angel, Dean has no mark or demon stuff, and nothing happened with Zeke or Metadouche.
> 
> NOTICE: THIS STORY IS ON HOLD!!!!! Read at your own risk.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their hunt for Crowley, the boys cross paths with another, and a whole new turmoil of problems is jump-started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH! IT'S FINALLY PUBLISHED! I am so happy! Be sure to tell me what you think: Thoughts, predictions, comments. Enjoy!

“This is the place, Dean said as he parked the Impala in front of a nice-ish apartment building. He and Sam and been getting reports of serious demon activity in the past few weeks, all leading back to here. “I don’t know Sam, seems a bit too,” Dean struggled to find the right word, “homey for a demon.

            “I know Dean, but this is where the trail leads. From all the signs, it seems like a pretty powerful demon. It might be able to help us find Crowley,” Sam argued. Dean let out a small huff and got out of his baby, Sam following closely behind. H was grateful to stretch his legs; they had been cramped at their crappy motel watching the building through a surveillance camera’s footage most of the day. The demon had finally left, giving Sam and Dean the perfect opportunity. They loaded up the duffel bags, taking from their trunk arsenal holy water, guns, and spray paint for devil’s traps, among other things. Dean shoved Ruby’s demon knife into his inside jacket pocket before shouldering his bag and leading the way into the building. They went up two floors and stopped at the 21st room.

            “221. Here we are,” Dean mumbled under his breath as he picked the lock, swinging the door open in a matter of seconds. They flicked on the lights and paused barely out of the doorway, startled by the ‘décor’.  An enormous case web occupied most of the far wall. Various files and old leather-bound books littered a desk to their left. Upon closer inspection by the younger Winchester, everything had to do with the supernatural. Dean, meanwhile, was staring at the impressive array of guns, knives- even a few angel blades- and other hunting tools such as salt, holy water, spray paint and EMF readers against the right wall. In the kitchen was a pantry better stocked for spells and sigils of all kinds than _Bobby’s_. In the hallway were three doors, two of which were opened while the other was locked tightly to prevent unwanted visitors. At the moment, this meant the two brothers. The two unlocked doors revealed a bathroom and a bedroom. Both of these seemed normal, if not a bit messy.

            “You sure this is a demon not a hunter Sammy?” Dean called from the hallway.

            “Pretty sure,” Sam answered back as he looked out the window. He turned away, careful eyes missing the two figures staring at them from behind a row of trees.

\- - - - - - - - - - -

            I was practically shaking with rage. How dare those two just break into my house?! The nerve. I started walking so I was more conveniently hidden, not even bothering to chick if he was behind me, though I’m sure he was. He always is. When sufficiently hidden from any humans walking about, we silently zapped up to my apartment. The tall one with Rapunzel hair had his back turned to us and was leafing through my case files. His associate was nowhere to be seen. My ‘partner’ walked up behind him and placed two fingers to his head, causing the intruder to slump unconscious onto the floor. Meanwhile, I looked for the other. 

\- - - - - - - - - -

            Dean was looking through the pantry and shoving a few items into his bag now and then, figuring he would have more use for them than a demon. He spun around when he heard a thump in the other room, but all he saw were bright blue eyes before everything went black.

\- - - - - - - - - -

            When Sam came to he was in an unknown room. He sat on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back and an unconscious brother by his side. There was one dim light in the center of the room, leaving shadows creeping in the corners. The walls were bare cement, much like the floor and Sam could dimly make out a table in the middle of the room holding their bags and weapons. He nudged Dean’s leg in order to rouse the older Winchester. Dean let out a low groan, slowly gaining his bearings.

            “What the… Where are we?” Dean looked around, wide eyes trying to adapt to the gloom. Sam opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of boots padding across the floor. Sam assumed it was the person who ambushed them, also presumably the demon they had been tracking for the past week. He could not see it’s face, but from what he _could_ make out, he saw the meat-suit was tall and lean, with long wavy hair tumbling down her back.

            “Who are you?” Her voice would have been sweet if it wasn’t filled with anger and ice. It was intimidating. “I asked you a question so I expect and answer. Who. Are. You.”

            Sam hesitated before speaking. “Go to hell.”

            She sighed, seeming exasperated and quite frankly bored with them. “Fine, if that’s how you want it, I’ll drag you down with me.” She aimed a gun at Sam’s head, safety off.

            “Whoa! Take it easy! We’re the Winchesters.” Dean reluctantly gave her their name.           

            “Winchesters? Ah crap!” She groaned, putting away her gun.

\- - - - - - - - - -

            Great, just peachy. The two people I most currently want to kill are the two people I can’t. Stupid promise.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean breathed out a sigh of relief when the demon put away her gun.

“Gryphon! Lights!” Someone from the back of the room, presumably Gryphon flicked a switch and the room was flooded with light, momentarily blinding Dean and Sam. Dean could see the demon’s meat-suit now. She had worn black leather boots, jeans, and a gray jacket. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen. Poor, poor possessed girl. Her hair was as black as her eyes were, or at least, how Dean thought they would be. But no, they were blue. Electric, bright, and angry as hell. The only eyes Dean had ever seen that could compare would be Castiel’s. They stood out extra against her tanned skin.

“You boys are lucky. You’re under protection,” she huffed.

“Whose?” Sam looked at her quizzically.

“Mine, as of right now. Congratulations!” He voice dripped with sarcasm.

“And who exactly are you? If you’re going to be out ‘protector’ then you at least owe us a name,” Dean smirked.

“Okay, one, by protector I mean I’m not going to kill you. Don’t kid yourself, the most I will take for you is a Nerf dart.” She glared at him wiping the smirk from his features. “Two, you can call me Claire. This is Gryphon,” she said with a gesture to the person in the back, causing Sam and Dean to pay attention to him for the first time. He had short-ish blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, wearing a simple black undershirt and jeans.

“Is Claire even your real name?” Sam gave her a level three bitchface.

“Nope,” she chirped, seeming content with keeping them in the dark.

\- - - - - - - - - -

No way in hell was I giving them my real name!

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean rolled his eyes at her reluctance to share the little secret. Seriously, how important can a name be? “What are you guys anyway?”

“Gryphon’s an angel. I’m half demon.” She didn’t elaborate.

“Well Claire, mind uncuffing us now?” Dean jingled his wrists and smiled sweetly.

“Why? So you can try to kill me? No thanks, I think I’ll keep you like this for a while.” Claire turned to Gryphon. “Watch them. I’ll look through their bags.”

“What, never heard of privacy?” Sam asked.

\- - - - - - - - - -

That crossed a line. I rounded on them, my eyes as black as coal. That always happened when I was angry; they didn’t normally change.

“You want to talk to me about privacy! You broke into my house! You are no better than me.” I probably would have gone on to killing them, but Gryphon placed a gentle hand on my arm, reminding me of what I already knew. I took a deep breath and turned back to their bags.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Sam relaxed a bit when Gryphon stopped Claire. Even he had to admit, despite the size difference, she was not an enemy he wanted. He figured they were safe for the moment, but of course, Dean had to be cocky.

“Oh come on. You’re just a low-lying hell-feeding mutant.”

Sam saw Claire stiffen and thought, ‘Ah crap, here we go.’

\- - - - - - - - - -

            He thinks he can talk to me like that?! Racist bastard! He needed to learn a lesson. I may not have a diploma, but I would be happy to help

\- - - - - - - - - -

            Dean knew something bad was going to happen as soon as Claire turned around. He had expected her to scream at them again or something, but instead there was a sickengly sweet grin on her face and a cruel glint in her blue pools of eyes. She was twirling one of Dean’s own knifes in her hands as she made her way over to him, straddling his waist.

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

 

 

I was going to enjoy this, but I hated being so close to Dean. What if the asshole was contagious?

“Do me a favor?” I still had that phony smile on my face. “Hold this for me.” I held the knife up and brought it down to stab him in his, well, in his dick.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Sam winced as Claire brought the knife down. That must have hurt! He heard Dean muttering some not so nice words over and over again under his breath. His inner sailor was going to town.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Yes, that was fun. I had a slight spring in my step as I went back over to their bags. Gryphon rolled his eyes and walked up to Dean, removing the knife and healing him.

“He’s the nice one,” I huffed, fake sticking my tongue out at him. He simply rolled his eyes again but I caught a small smile creeping up his face.

“Can we just un-cuff them already? We need to get back to our hunt. Crowley’s head on a plate remember?” Gryphon spoke up for the first time.

\- - - - - - - - - -

“Wait, hunt? Crowley?” Dean had figured that the little bitch’s meat suit was the hunter, not the demon herself. He rubbed his hands, which were now free thanks to Gryphon.  
            “Yes. I am a demon hunter and that is my angel boyfriend. If you have a problem with that you can wrap it in a bow and show it up your ass because I don’t care,” Claire deadpanned.

 _‘She’s pleasant,’_ Dean thought. Now that he was free he could start planning his escape, though he would need to find out more about this Claire person sooner or later. ‘ _Hey there Cas, we need a ride out of here.’_

\- - - - - - - - - -

I heard the familiar flapping of wings and automatically I knew it was him. The feeling in the room changed. I stiffened automatically. My heart rate was erratic. It was my first encounter with him. Was I ready? OH HELL NO! Gryphon reached out and wrapped his hand around my wrist, not to hold me back this time but for comfort, solace. I steeled my nerves. Time to freak out later.

“Well, looks like your ride is here. Sayonara boys.” Just to make sure they left, I expelled them back to wherever they came from. I could _not_ freak out while they were around. They were gone before I had even exchanged a single word with Castiel, but from what I saw, he was just like she said.


	2. What's Playing On Angel Radio?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters haven't seen the last of Claire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOOOOOOO long since the last update. My apologies. Enjoy!

“Are you okay?” Gryphon was standing behind me as I occupied myself with re-organizing the files on my desk. I get OCD when I’m freaked okay? It had been a few minutes since Sam and Dean left with Castiel and I haven’t spoken a word since, just leaving the ‘interrogation room’. I still didn’t answer him, moving around constantly to give the illusion that I was too busy to care. Truth was, I really didn’t know the answer. However, being that it was Gryphon and he knew me better than (as cliché as it sounds) I know myself, he saw right through my façade.

“Claire,” he pleaded with a small sigh at the end. I turned around with my arms crossed, not taking my arms off my scuffed up boot toe. I gave a shrug in reply, as if to say I was fine. I didn’t want his pity; even if I knew it was unintentional. He placed two fingers under my chin and lifted my eyes to meet him, blue crashing on grey. “Tell me the truth.”

God, how weak was I that that was the only thing it took before I broke. “I don’t know what I feel. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to feel! My first time being in the same room as the guy and I almost have a nervous breakdown! And I’m supposed to care about him?! I only even know him through her! The only reason I didn’t kill those two in there was because she asked me to keep them safe! Should I? They don’t matter to me just because she cared about them! But then what? Do I just ignore the thing she begged me, pleaded with me to do while she was-” Whoa, not going down that road. Gryphon pulled me into his chest and I let him, clutching him, holding on for dear life like so many times before. Just a moment of weakness before I gently pushed away. He got the memo and released me with another sigh. What did I do to deserve this? Needing to be alone, I zapped off to clear my head, landing subconsciously near the car Dean and Sam had left behind.

 

\- - - - - - - - - -

“Who was that?” Castiel started with the questions the moment they got back to the motel safely.

“Who knows? Just some weird half-demon chick who calls herself Claire,” Dean said as he shrugged off his leather jacket and took two beers from the fridge, passing one across the table to Sam as he set up his laptop.

“She said she was ‘protecting’ us. She also, uh, stabbed Dean.” Sam let out a small chuckle. Now that the moment was passed, he was free to taunt Dean.

“What? Where? Are you hurt?” Cas had his full smitey look on and Dean scrambled to assure him.

“I’m fine, Cas. Her angel healed me. As for where, we never speak of that again.” Dean shot daggers at his brother, but it did nothing to dampen the amused smirk on his face.

Cas’ head was still tilted in confusion, but instead of pressing the matter, he perused a different, and mostly likely less painstaking, route. “Do you know why she was protecting you?”

“Not a clue. We hardly know anything. What about you? Did you pick up on anything while we were there?” Sam looked at Cas expectantly while Dean mused over whether or not his goods would suffer any consequences.

“Not much, she seemed to be shielding her soul from me. I briefly noticed her accomplice, but I don’t recognize him from Heaven. He was an angel nonetheless, but I doubt he could be working with a demon while still connected to Heaven. His rebellion surely couldn’t have been of importance if I did not hear about it?”

“Well, congrats, Cas. You’ve got another passenger on your “Freed Angles” kayak. This calls for pie.” Sam and Cas sent twin bitchfaces in Dean direction, and the hunter was momentarily terrified by the similarity, holding up his hands in surrender.

“Why did you ask me to come so soon? I would have assumed you would want to stay and find out as much as possible about this, err, Claire.” Cas asked, changing the subject.

“Couldn’t risk further injury. The bitch has a temper like… well, like Dean’s,” Sam replied, causing his brother’s head to shoot up.

“Hey! I have the patience of a saint!”

Again with the bitchfaces. Sam opened his mouth and Dean geared up for the classic did-not-did-to argument when there was a knock on the door.

\- - - - - - - - - -

After pacing, cursing, more pacing, a bit of inner monologue, and the tragic death of a tree, I gave up. It was no use! I was still as worked up as I was when they left! I checked the clock on my phone. It had been five whole minutes! I gave up, and zapped back to the interrogation room where I had talked to Sam and Dean not too long ago. I noticed their duffels still sitting on the table along with a set of keys for that sexy thing outside. Might as well return them right? Who knows, Cas might be there. Not that I cared. Pfft. Shut up. How much more vegetation would have to perish?

I didn’t bother telling Gryphon I was leaving, he would find me if need be. Locating the brothers easily, I appeared in front of their motel room, the car parked outside and the duffels by my feet before an idea came to me. Why not have a bit of fun?

\- - - - - - - - - -

Sam approached the door cautiously, gun drawn. Dean was behind him with the demon knife and Cas off to the other side, his blade out and ready. The youngest Winchester nudged the door open just enough to peer around and see who was there, but let it go the rest of the way when he was met with nothing. “Ding-dong-ditchers,” he muttered after a look down the hallway. Dean was the first to turn around, and he let out a (very small, very manly) shriek when he did.

\- - - - - - - - - -

That. Was. Hilarious. Pure gold. Why didn’t I video tape that glorious moment? It was all I could do to stop from falling over. Both Sam and Castiel had turned around and were staring at me with confused and shocked expressions. “You…scream…like a…Chihuahua!” My eyes connected with Castiel’s for a split second and that helped me sober up pretty quick. I gradually stopped laughing and stood up straight.

“What are you doing here?” Sam was the first to speak. Dean hadn’t stopped glaring at me, but he was obviously embarrassed. Point Claire.

“Well, hello to you too Sam. I’m fine thanks for not asking. I just popped over here because you left your junk at my house. Thought you might want it back.” I nudged the bags on the table with my elbow, all while digging the car keys out of my pocket. “The car’s parked in the lot.” I tossed them to Dean, who caught them reflexively.

“If you scratched up my Baby-” I cut Dean’s warning off with a dismissive wave of my hand.

“Please. Just because I don’t like you doesn’t mean I’m going to take it out on an innocent beauty.”

I was about to speak again when Castiel put a hand to his temple wincing. I stiffened, trying not to appear too worried.

“Cas?” Dean moved closer to him, anxious about what was happening to his ‘friend’. Gryphon appeared only a moment later, also concentrating on what was going on inside his head. Something had to be wrong in Heaven. Neither angel was able to explain.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean was worried. Castiel gripped the top of a chair to steady himself while Gryphon leaned on Claire. She snapped into action, placing her hands on either side of Gryphon’s head, her fingertips lightly brushing his temples, and closing her eyes, face blank and emotionless.

“Claire? Claire, what the hell?” Dean moved to snap his fingers while Sam stayed by Cas.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean was really getting on my nerves. I was  _trying_  to concentrate in order to tap into angel radio through Gryphon; mine was always a bit fuzzy. Now he goes and is breaking my concentration. Rude.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean gave up on reaching Claire and worked on getting Cas to communicate with them. It was only mere seconds before Claire slumped over and opened her eyes.

“Claire! What the hell was that?” Dean felt a protective urge come over him, unexplained and unexpected.

\- - - - - - - - - -

I shrugged Dean’s hand off. He couldn’t get close to me, he couldn’t figure it out, not yet.

“It’s the angels. They sent out a broadcast to any of them out there. A group of them, not too important but large, was ambushed about two states away. They say it was Crowley and his men. They need someone to go after him.” I moved over to Gryphon and put him to sleep with two fingers to the forehead and zapping him to the bed, then the same with Cas. “Watch them, I’m going to check out where he hit.”

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa, we’re coming with you,” Dean protested.

“No you’re not. You’ll just screw it up.”

“Excuse me? We’ve gone against Crowley before, you haven’t. What if he’s still there?” Sam was the one who spoke up this time.

“Trust me, I’ve had my run-ins with His Grace in the past. Every time you’ve gone against him you’ve lost. Let me handle this. Sayonara.” I turned and was gone, but not before I felt a hand close around my wrist. Looks like someone hitched a ride.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean wasn’t thinking when he grabbed at Claire, he just knew that if someone was going after Crowley, he was coming. His stomach swirled as they arrived. The way Claire traveled was…weird.

“Dean, you idiot! I told you to stay behind!” Claire was roaring at him before he had even gained his bearings.

“You don’t get to give me orders. I’m helping you. No arguments. Can we get on with this now?”

Claire clenched her jaw and sized him up, seemingly judging whether or not she could zap him back to the motel in short time. She apparently decided against it, because she sighed in frustration and ran her hands down her face.

“Fine. Fine, yeah, okay. You’ll need this,” she conceded, passing Dean an angel blade from her jacket.

“What about you? Don’t you need a weapon too? Or do you just carry around a stock of these at all times?” Dean’s eyebrows went high and Claire scoffed.

“I have my ways. Come on.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

My first hunt with Dean. It was a bit weird. There was so much right in front of his face that he didn’t know it was almost laughable. Dean took the lead into the two-story building. It was large and grey, with smashed out windows and falling ceilings. It was obviously abandoned. How do demons find these places? Do they have an online abandoned warehouse rental community or something? Literally everything evil-ish happens in these places now days.

A noise from upstairs startled me out of my internal inquiries.  _“Stay here. I’m going to check upstairs,”_ I mouthed. Dean nodded, albeit reluctantly.

I headed up the stairs without making a sound. Perks of being part-demon. We’re sneaky bastards.  It was just an open area upstairs, the room being divided by rows of tall racks. I hate chasing someone through rows. Damn rows. A rustling came from the row two over and I zapped over without a second thought. Because that was totally the smartest decision. Please register my sarcasm. I landed right in front of the demon. He was no slouch either, swinging at me with his blade instantly. It grazed my arm, but not enough to do any serious damage. Not missing a beat, I let my own angel blade drop from my sleeve and swung back at him. It caught him in the arm and he let out a howl of pain. I took that opportunity to knock the blade out of his hand. He flung his arm out to pin me to the wall as a last resort, but even as he waved his arm frantically, I didn’t budge. His eyes widened in fear and disbelief. He made a move to turn and run but I cut him off by pinning him to the wall with a single clam flick of the wrist. He zoomed halfway across the room and I was in-front of him in seconds.

“That party trick stopped working on me a long time ago,” I sneered calmly.

 I pressed the palm of my hand to his head and looked into the vessel. He was a 30 year old surgeon with a pregnant wife. Spectacular. Why did demons always have to possess respectable people? Are they allergic to anyone I could live with killing? This was going to drain my energy, but it had to be done. Reaching out mentally, I grasped the demon soul, twisted and corrupted as it was. I could hear him screaming faintly, but everything was dulled as I crushed the soul, effectively killing the demon with no damage to the vessel. I’m just that good. I felt like I was going to collapse, but my job wasn’t done. Altering the vessels memories so that he just got really drunk after a bad operation and he couldn’t remember any of what happened after that. My last task was to send him back to his house. When that was done, yeah, I collapsed.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean was just finishing his sweep of the ground floor when he heard the screams from upstairs.

“Claire?!” He was bolting up the stairs and into the room in seconds. The sight that greeted him was pretty scary. Claire was lying on the ground, unmoving. Dean rushed over, dropping his blade in the process. This girl might have been a demon, but she had been helping them and it wouldn’t sit right with Dean if she died on his watch. “Claire?! Claire?!”

She didn’t open her eyes.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much of a cliffhanger because (spoilers) she's not dead! Still 13 chapters to go. I can't kill her off yet! Bye peoples!


	3. Again, Freaking AGIAN?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things between the Winchesters and Claire take an unexpected turn.

“Claire?! Come on, wake up!” Dean shook Claire by the shoulders. She could not die on his watch, no sir-ee.

“Dean?” She coughed, wearily coming to her senses and sitting up.

“You alright?” Dean helped her stand up. She swayed uncertainly on her feet and Dean wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from falling on her butt. “Do you think you can zap us out of here?”

She gave what Dean would come to learn was Raised Eyebrow #17: Does-It-Look-Like-I-Can-Do-What-You’re-Asking-Dumbass? He would get that look alot in the future.

“I need a little while to recover. It shouldn’t take too long.” She moved out of his grasp, not somewhat stable and leaned her back against on of the rows.

“Fine, I’ll text Sam to let him know we’ll be back soon and we’re okay.” Dean pulled out his phone and continued, “What did you do to drain yourself so much anyway?”

“I found a demon up here, but I didn’t want to harm the meatsuit. He was a good man, surgeon,  engaged, father-to-be, yadah yadah. I couldn’t very well just stab him.”

“So you exorcised the demon,” Dean interrupted.

“No. I killed it, but I didn’t hurt the meatsuit,” Claire corrected, admittedly annoyed.

Dean was very confused by this. “How did you kill him without hurting the human?”

“Old trick of mine, demon stuff. Not so great being human now huh?”

“Sure, sure,” Dean said, rolling his eyes. “Where is the guy now?”

“After some memory alterations, I sent him home to his family.”

“Well aren’t you citizen of the year.”

“Shut up. I’m diabolical,” Claire pouted.

Dean laughed at her scrunched up face, leaning against the row opposite hers. His phone chimed and he pulled it out, reading the message and putting it back away. “Sam says that the angels are just waking up, but they’re still a little dizzy.” He frowned a bit.

“Aww, you worried about your boyfriend?”

Dean spluttered at that. It was the first time someone so new to them had called Castiel his boyfriend so directly. “Cas- I- We- We’re not- I’m straight!”

Claire laughed. “Dean you are as straight as a curly fry.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Yeah, Dean, straight. That’ll be the day. No, actually, I don’t want to live to see that day, because then, we will be under attack by UFP- Unidentified Flying Pigs. Those things are dangerous, and I should know because one time I got really bored and slingshotted one off the roof of my apartment building. It hit a pedestrian. Gryphon yelled at me. It was funny. Okay, so maybe I’m still a little dizzy.

“You know what,” Dean said, “change of topic.”

I whispered, “Destiel is life.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Dean huffed. “Anyway, what was Crowley doing here? None of the angels here were exactly high in terms of status. How would this help him get to God?”

“He can’t just swallow something as powerful as God-Juice right off the bat. He would have to start small. The more powerful and high-up and angel is, the more potent the grace. He could absorb the grace of smaller angels first, and then move up the chain until he gets to the big guys. Next comes the grace of an archangel and the finally, daddy dearest,” I explained.

“How do you know all this?” Dean’s eyes were narrowing ever-so-slightly in suspicion.

“Its what I would do.”

Dean nodded thoughtfully. “What do you think he would do from there?”

I thought about it for a minute before answering. “He already rules Hell. Getting God’s grace would enable him to rule Heaven. From there he can always take over Purgatory. He’ll rule everything.”

“How would he take over the humans?”

“Have you seen yourselves? With the collective IQ of the human race, it shouldn’t be that hard. All he has to do is possess Ellen DeGeneres or Neil Patrick Harris and bing-bang-boom, one world takeover complete.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “How are you feeling? Ready to leave?”

“Aw, are your sick of my company already?” Claire pursed her lips in a mock pout.

“Yes,” Dean deadpanned.

“Yeah, mutual,” Claire shrugged. “Yeah, I should be good enough to get us back.”

“Are you gonna pass out when we get there?”

Claire paused, but shrugged again. “Nah, I’m good. But it’s sweet that you care.”

“Yeah, right. I just don’t want to lug your sorry ass around anymore,” Dean joked. He would be lying if he said she didn’t annoy him, but it would also be a lie to say he didn’t care about her at least a little.

“Haha, very funny. Let’s go,”  Claire said joyfully. She walked over to Dean and he met her in the middle. Claire placed a hand on his shoulder and they were gone, appearing in the motel room seconds later.

Sam jumped out of  the chair he was almost asleep in and landed on his butt, causing both Dean and Claire to laugh. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. It’s about time you got back. Gryphon was getting worried about you, Claire.”

She smiled. “Where is he?” Nether Gryphon nor Castiel were anywhere to be seen.

“Both angels went to get food a few minutes back. They should be back any second.”

Just at that moment, the sound of two wings flapping filled the room as Castiel and Gryphon appeared with bags of take-out in their hands. Gryphon dropped his bags to the floor and rushed over to Claire, sweeping her up off her feet in a crushing hug, but she didn’t seem to mind as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The others looked away, feeling as if they were intruding on a private moment. Gryphon placed Claire back on her feet and started visibly checking her for injuries.

“Gryphon, I’m fine,” she giggled. Dean stared at her, dumbfounded as the sound escaped her mouth. It was not something her ever expected to come from her.

“You shouldn’t have worked yourself so hard that you passed out. You could have done some serious damage,” he scolded, but there was no heat behind his words. Anyone could tell that he was relieved she was okay.

Sam cleared his throat, reminding them that he, Dean, and Castiel were still there. “So, what happened?”

Dean recounted their mini-hunt and what they think Crowley’s plans are, Claire interjecting whenever he forgot something. Sam and the angels sat there and listened silently, puzzling over what to do.

Once they were finished, Sam spoke up with the question that was haunting each of them. “If Crowley does manage to absorb God’s grace, is there anything that could stop him?

“Only a very, very powerful demon/angel hybrid,” Claire answered, “and none of those have ever been recorded in all of existence.”

“So our only chance is...” Dean started.

“To find and stop Crowley before he can find God,” Castiel finished.

“Great, how exactly do we do that?” Sam threw his hands up in defeat but Claire wasn’t fazed by their difficult predicament.

“All that you need to do is track him down and stab him with an angel blade. That would take care of the angel side of him and the demon side simultaneously.”

“Okay,” Dean started, “well, how do we find him? He has already proved he can escape our tracking spells.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down buddy.” Claire held her hands up to stop him. “There is no ‘we’. Me and Gryphon will look for him, and you guys can go hunt some ghosts or something. Leave this one to the major leaguers.”

“Excuse me?” Dean raised his brows and started to move closer to Claire, who stalked towards him as well.

'Crap. Bitchfight alert,’ Sam thought as they came face to face.

“You heard me. You and Sam have no powers except that to fail epically every time you go against Crowley. Heck, you have let him escape so many times, who’s to say you won’t do it again?”

“Have you even faced Crowley before?”

“Actually I have, right around the time you were running around chasing Abaddon.”

“Well it doesn’t look like you got him.”

“At least I wasn’t working with him!”

“Sam was dying!”

“Aren’t one of you two always. Really, it should be old news by now.”

Dean raised his hands as if to hit Claire and that was when Gryphon stepped between them, moving Claire back gently. “Okay guys settle down. Back to your corners. Claire, a word.” The two of them moved across the room and out of the other’s earshot as Sam and Cas came to stand beside Dean.

“I take it back,” the eldest Winchester said. “I most certainly do not want to work with that bitch.”

“Come on, Dean. She seems to know a lot about this grace stuff and it wouldn’t hurt to have two more powered-up people on our side when push comes to shove,” Sam reasoned.  “She might get on your nerves, but she could be a real asset.”

“We can’t just work with Gryphon and not her?”

“Yeah, because those two aren’t a total package deal.”

Dean huffed a petulant ‘fine’ and moved to sulk behind Sam.

 

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Gryphon moved me over to the corner of the room that would be considered the kitchen. I leaned heavily against the fridge and crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t want to work with them.”

“Oh, grow up Claire-”

“I am acting my age,” I interrupted.

Gryphon gave me a half-hearted glare. “Based on your personalities, it is expected that you and Dean fight, but you were part of it too.”

“I would prefer if my boyfriend wasn’t also my father figure,” I spat.

“I’m not your father figure, but you might get the chance to actually have one if we work with the Winchesters.”

“Gryphon-”

“No, Claire. I’m right and you know it. If you don’t take this chance you will live to regret it. This is an opportunity you most likely won’t get again. Don’t miss it. Plus,” he continued in the tone of voice that meant I wasn’t going to like what came next, “what would your mom want you to do?”

“Low blow,” I mumbled.

“You can take it.”

I huffed and rolled my eyes so hard there was a statistically probably chance that they would get suck. “Fine. I’ll work with the bozo.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Gryphon and Claire came back over to the Winchesters and Castiel, Gryphon leading the way and Claire lurking behind him. “We have decided that we would be very grateful for your help on this hunt,” he said politely.

“As would we,” Sam smiled back at him. Castiel gave a small smile and a head nod. Claire and Dean, however, were playing a game of ‘Who Can Convey How Much They Hate This More?’. So far, it was a draw.

“Good. We will have to get some supplies from the apartment, and maybe do some research there. Will you guys come?”

“Sounds good,” Sam said.

“I remember the way if you want us to meet you there,” Castiel suggested.

“Sure,” Gryphon replied. He held his hand out for Claire to take, but she only stared at it and then up at him for a few seconds with Raised Eyebrow #23: Haha-Yeah-No before flying away on her own. Gryphon rolled his eyes with a sigh and followed her.

Castiel clamped a hand down on Sam and Dean’s shoulders and flew the to the apartment. Sam and Dean- who momentarily forgot just how pissed he was at this entire situation- stared dumbstruck around them. Claire and Gryphon bore similar looks of astonishment.

The apartment had been ramshacked. The bookshelves had been ripped of their contents and tipped to the ground. The jars in the pantry had been smashed and their contents laid on the tile floor rotting away. The files on the desk were ripped apart with their papers strewn about and the drawers of the desk had been torn out with their contents thrown about. The window glass had been smashed and there were a few dents dotting the walls. The weapons had all been pulled off the wall, but the demon bombs and angel blades were missing, presumably stolen. The complex case web that once covered the wall had been torn down and ripped to shreds. Someone really had their fun with this.

“Crowley,” Claire growled.

Gryphon snapped out of his daze and rushed to go check the other rooms. Sam thought to help and went to the kitchen to pick up the smashed jars and rotting contents. Castiel busied himself replacing the remaining weapons on their racks. Angrily, Claire bent down to pick up the fallen books. That was when Dean decided to stow his annoyance and help out, picking up the fallen bookcase with ease and finding that, surprisingly, those things were pretty light when they weren’t stacked with leather-bound bricks.

“The shampoo! REALLY!” Against the anger, Gryphon’s cry got everyone laughing. Dean bent down to help Claire with the books.

“Thanks,” she said absentmindedly.  

“No problem,” he replied, thinking that maybe this partnership could work.

Gryphon came back out with a sickly grey tint to his face and a terrified stance. “Claire... They stole your Doctor Who box set.”

Claire’s eyes narrowed evilly. “This just got personal.” The odd way her voice dipped down three octaves to match that of Castiel made the rest all laugh again.

“How do you think Crowley found us? We have a million wards on this place. I have trouble finding us sometimes,” Gryphon said as he moved over to organize the desk.

“He probably tracked the Impala,” Claire replied with a playful glare at Dean.

 Castiel asked over his shoulder, “Where will you go now? It can’t be safe to stay here now that Crowley know where it is.

Sam’s head popped out from around the door in a way that was almost cartoonish. “Live with us.”


	4. {4} Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire, Gryphon and the Winchester's officially team up to catch Crowley.

“Move in with us.”

Claire’s reaction was quite unexpected. She burst out laughing. The others just stood there looking at her until Gryphon sighed, exasperated.

“Claire, they were serious.” Gryphon pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at her until she sobered up.

“Wait, really? You weren’t joking?” Her eyes widened in surprise and even a bit of fear.

Sam shook his head, but Dean nodded eagerly, hoping to brush of the insane suggestion as sarcasm.

The younger Winchester glared at his brother. “No, I wasn’t. We have plenty of extra rooms in the bunker; plus if we are working together it would be the most convenient option,” Sam explained. Dean was still glowering at him and slowly moving his head back and forth in a clear signal of _‘Nope, no way, not going to happen.’_

Claire turned her back to the brothers in order to face Gryphon and Dean angled his body away from them to discuss with Sam. Both pairs had a quick mental debate. Claire was in the middle of gesturing at Dean in a not too kid-friendly way when Gryphon looked abruptly away from her and to the brothers.

“Thank you very much, and we accept your offer,” he said politely.

 

**\- - - - - - - - - -**

Okay, wait a minute. I love Gryphon, I really do, but _has he gone senile!?_ Me _talking_ to the Winchesters was dangerous. Living with them? Nuclear.

“Sounds good,” Sam said. “We’ll have to get our stuff. You don’t have to worry about Crowley finding you at the bunker. It’s virtually untraceable.”

Wrong, I’ve been swiping food from there unnoticed for almost a month. I opted not to say that out loud. I had a feeling it wouldn’t help with the whole ‘Trust Issue’ thing we had going.

            “Sammy,” Dean hissed through his teeth,” are you sure this is a good idea?”

            This was going to be hard. A real tough blow. I wondered if I would ever fully recover. “I agree with Dean.”

            Wow, that was more difficult than I expected. I had to lean against the desk to catch my breath. Were those black spots in my vision? Was the room getting smaller? Is my heart rate slowing down?

Sam was staring at me, his mouth and eyebrows pinched in concern, though I was getting the feeling it was concern for my mental stability and not the impending death looming over my head. Gryphon rolled his eyes so hard that there was a statistically probable chance they would get stuck forever in the back of his head. He muttered something about ‘over-dramatic’ and ‘why me?’ Castiel, who had been silent through-out this all, looked over at me and then back at the bookshelf, seeming really not ready to handle my mid-mid-mid-life crisis.

            Dean smirked at me. “I am never going to let you live this one down,” he said with a triumphant grin.

            “I will neuter you.”

            Dean glared and I stuck out my tongue like a mature person.

            “When you two are done, can we get moving,” Sam said, brandishing his gigantor arms in a hurrying motion.

            “Calm down. I’ll get us packed up in no time.” I smiled cheekily and with a snap of my fingers, two suitcases full of clothes, weaponry, and important books manifested by my side. I may be lazy, but at least I’m efficient.

            “Nice,” Dean drawled sarcastically as I took a small bow. He really had no appreciation for fine supernatural arts.

            Gryphon and I each picked up a bag and followed Dean, Sam and Cas out the door. I was the last to leave and as I was standing in the entrance way with my hand on the door-knob, I turned to my apartment one last time. “Sayonara.”

**\- - - - - - - - - -**

5 hours and two pots of coffee later, Dean and Cas sat talking in the kitchen. It hadn’t taken long for Claire and Gryphon to unpack with their combined powers. Dean had stopped to grab Chinese take-out on the way home, but everyone had just grabbed their respective meals and eaten in their rooms. Claire and Gryphon were sharing a room two halls down from Dean’s, Sam’s and the one reserved for Castiel, even if the angel barely used it. They had chosen a room more isolated from the others for privacy reasons, but also an unspoken lack of solid trust.

            It was around midnight when Claire stumbled blearily into the kitchen. She must have been asleep because she was clad in sweat-shorts and a shirt that was too big to be hers, most likely previously belonging to Gryphon before she commandeered it. She had fuzzy ankle socks on to keep the harsh night cold away from her feet and her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. Her face scrunched up when she stepped into the light. As she yawned, Dean couldn’t help but think that she looked extremely child-like, with no smirk or scowl hardening her features.

            “Morning, boys,” she greeted with a tired smile, rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she sat on the chair next to Cas and pulled Dean’s mug of coffee over to her across the table.

            “It’s midnight, Claire,” Dean said, pulling the mug back to him.

            “Hmm, fancy that.” Claire got up to fix herself a mug, sitting back next to them when she finished, not adding milk or sugar. “What are you doing up so late anyway?”

            “Just recapping. What about you?”

            She shrugged and blew across the top of the mug, watching the steam billow and swirl with the fascination only a person who has just woken up could muster. “Didn’t need any more sleep. Add that to the list of ways humans are inferior creatures.”

            Dean rolled his eyes. That was an argument for a much, _much_ later time.

            Castiel picked up the conversation. “We were also discussing plans for dealing with Crowley.”

            The speed with which Claire’s face switched from just-woken-up-relaxed to show-me-where-to-stab-angry was almost incomprehensible. “Easy. Kill the son-of-a-bitch.”

            Silence fell for a moment, tension radiating from Claire’s now hunched shoulders. Castiel softly broke the fragile glass of quiet. “What did he do to you, Claire?”

            Claire paused and Dean could practically see the inner debate of whether or not to answer raging behind her eyes. She seemed to deem them worthy of a response, and one that he was guessing was at least partially true.

            “He killed my mom,” she said, quiet but not broken, soft but not weak.

            Dean could sympathize, understanding the trial of losing a parent. “That’s rough. Why aren’t you with your dad?”

            “He abandoned us.” Her mouth quirked upwards on one side in a smile devoid of any real humor. “Although, I’m not sure if that’s really true, considering he doesn’t even know I exist.”

            “Yeesh,” Dean hissed. “He sounds like a dick.”

            She shrugged. “He had other commitments. Plus, like I said, he doesn’t know he ever left anything behind.” She scoffed, picking at her fingernails absentmindedly. “I honestly don’t care too much. I never knew him, how could I miss him? For all I know, I’m better off without the guy.”

            Cas asked gently, “How old were you when your mother died?”

            She wasn’t really paying attention when she said, “I was two, but I’ve had three years to deal with it, so I’m pretty much fine.”

            Dean automatically nodded, but did a double-take when her words set in. Claire grimaced when she realized her mistake.

            “Wait, you’re…” Dean paused to make sense of the numbers in his head.

            “Five, dumbass, but yes.”

            Castiel said, genuinely confused, “Why did you choose a vessel that age? Why not someone in adulthood? It would be easier when it came to jobs or impersonations.”

            Claire sighed. “This actually isn’t a meat-suit. This is my real body. I was born into this body five years ago and I can’t smoke out. It sort of sucks. If this body dies, I die. It would make me mortal, but the whole ‘only demonic or angelic blades can kill demons’ thing still applies.”

            “How does the aging work? You look like a teenager,” Castiel asked.

            “Demon children grow exceptionally fast up until when our bodies reach adulthood. I was only born five years ago, but my body has grown to approximately the age of 15. My soul, however, has only existed for five years,” she explained carefully.

            Dean chuckled under his breath, dismissing the other two’s curious looks. _‘I got stabbed by a toddler,’_ he thought to himself. “Well,” he said out loud, “this has been enough weird supernatural beings crap for me tonight. I need my four hours. See you guys in the morning.” Dean stood up, deposited his mug in the sink and clapped a hand on Castiel’s shoulder as he left.

            “ _At least out loud I won’t say I’m in love_ ,” Claire hummed, taking an excerpt from Disney’s Hercules. Dean shot her the bird on his way out, ignoring the way she sarcastically called out ‘Love you too, Dean!’ to his retreating back.

**\- - - - - - - - - -**

            Cas and I sat for a few moments in silence. I tried to ignore the awkwardness, considering I was probably the only one feeling it. After a long sip of coffee, the angel turned in his chair to face me fully for the first time. Cerulean clashed against azure.

            “What is the real reason you couldn’t sleep. If you went without any form of rest for long you would more sleep. When I met you for the first time, I could already feel your energy running low and you haven’t stopped since then, your short bout of unconsciousness at the warehouse- yes Dean told me about that, no it does not warrant a death sentence- not counting. You are still tired, I can tell. So why are you not currently sleeping until noon?”

            I sighed and looked down at the table. Why not tell him? What could he do about it? “Nightmares, but I’d rather not talk about it.”

            Castiel nodded and I was silently grateful he did not push the matter. He abruptly changed the subject, but hey, I wasn’t complaining.

            “How did you do what you did with the demon in the warehouse? Dean told me you killed the demon but didn’t harm the human it was possessing. I’ve never heard of that.”

            “It was a trick Gryphon showed me a while back. I, unlike the Winchesters, would rather have a better method than just stabbing people and seeing if they glow when they die. It takes up a lot of energy though, so I only do it if the person was decent. Criminals or scumbags, I can live with killing.”

            Castiel seemed almost surprised at my answer. “That’s actually very… good.”

            “I may be arrogant, obnoxious, and immature, but I’m not a monster.”

            “You are a demon though,” Castiel added, causing me to huff. You would think he knew better.

            “So? The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Demons can be decent people, and humans can be monsters.”

            The angel fell silent, taking in what I said. Finally he shrugged. “You have a point. Will you teach me how to do what you did sometime?”

            I beamed and nodded. “Sure thing,” I replied and launched into a detailed explanation.

**\- - - - - - - - - -**

            Dean lied. Well, sort of. He didn’t go straight to bed. He took a quick detour to Sam’s room to talk to his little brother. Sam was sitting in his armchair, an old book lying open in his lap and his eyes scanning the page. He looked up when Dean knocked, somewhat startled.

            “Hey, Dean. Everything okay?” Dean looked serious so something had to be exploding somewhere.

            “Kind of. It’s Claire.”

            “Dean, if you killed her I swear to God-”

            Dean cut him off by raising his hand. “I didn’t. She is alive and annoying, same as when we met her.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “You know I didn’t really want her here to start with, but we were talking just now. Sammy, she’s had a rough past. She actually reminds me a lot of us. We’ve been in her shoes. I’m not saying I _trust_ her, and I defiantly don’t like her, but I’m on board to work with her to find Crowley.”

            “Wow, that’s very… mature of you Dean. Freakishly out of character and surprising, but mature.” Sam gave him a small smile.

            “Thanks,” Dean replied sarcastically. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your nerd crack. See you in the morning.” He turned to the door.

            “’Night Dean.”

            “’Night Sammy.”


	5. Team Free Will Plus Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into life in the bunker with Claire and Gryphon

            It had been three weeks since Claire and Gryphon moved into the bunker, and they were getting closer to finding Crowley. He seemed to have found a way to avoid their summoning and tracking spells, making it more difficult, but with three supernatural beings on hand, he wouldn’t be able to elude them for long. They had developed a special system in the first week. The four boys would do most of the work tracking down one of Crowley’s goonies while Claire binged watched sit-coms on Netflix. Once they brought home one of the minions in shackled and bleeding, Claire would use… special means to get information on Crowley’s location and progress.

            Dean especially hadn’t been too thrilled about what exactly her methods were.

 

**> >>>>18 DAYS AGO<<<<<**

“ _WHAT?!”_ This cry came from a practically hysterical Dean. His eyes had bugged out of his head almost comically and his face had reddened in anger. His jaw clenched and unclenched as his jaws balled in fists by his side. His stance was predatory as he stared down Claire, the unsurprising subject of his anger. She calmly met his furious stare, one that had sent many other monsters running home to change their pants. “Tell me you’re kidding,” he gritted.

“Dean,” Claire started, already seemingly exasperated from the fight that was sure to come.

“No. No, don’t even say anything! I can’t believe this! Those are people they’re inside! Why would you torture them?!”

“To get answers! At least I’m willing to take action! Hurting something is a lot better than sitting on my ass and waiting for Crowley to appear with a sword pointed at his chest for me to push in!”

“Those are humans, Claire!”

“Is that supposed to change anything?! You really don’t get it! I don’t give a single crap about humans! I don’t _care_ about humanity! Humans have done nothing for me, I don’t plan on doing anything for them! I care about killing that bastard! I am going to find Crowley and I am going to do exactly that by whatever means necessary! I don’t care which of your precious humans I hurt along the way. Deal with it.”

Dean growled at her, “If you don’t care, why did you help that human back in the warehouse?”

“Because I could afford to. If I could, I would heal them, but I can’t take the chances of them being re-possessed.”

“I still don’t understand how you could do that!”

“At least I’ve never enjoyed it like you!”

The rate at which the room fell silent was unfathomable. Dean flinched backwards, and if you looked closely, so did Claire. All four males were staring at her in disbelief, and in Dean’s case, poorly concealed hurt. It did not take a genius to know that it was wrong to bring up a person’s experiences in Hell. It was just manners. Dean turned away, pressing a fist over his mouth as if he could physically suppress the memories of his time spent in the pit, of the feeling of slicing into a fresh soul, making it quiver beneath the blade.

Gryphon moved closer to Claire, opening his mouth to get her to apologize, but he didn’t have to. She did it herself that time.

“Dean, I’m sorry. I had no right to say that. I crossed a line and I… I’m sorry.”

Dean’s shoulders slumped and he turned back to them. He nodded and started towards the door, giving Claire a Forgiving-But-Not-Yet-Forgetting squeeze on the shoulder as he passed.

And if Claire decreased the number of times she called him a dick over the next few days, no one said anything.

 

**> >>>>PRESENT<<<<<**

 

Claire was still torturing to get information on Crowley, but after a much calmer discussion a few days after the first, she and Dean agreed that, no matter how much he didn’t like it, there were consequences to saving the world. If this was the worst they had to do to stop Crowley- it probably wouldn’t be, but people can dream- they could live with it.

Things ran much smoother in the following weeks. Life for the Winchesters with Claire and Gryphon in the house was finally starting to feel normal- or as close to normal as they could get. Claire and Gryphon still spent most of their time together, but the two of them were starting to spend more one-on-one time with the Winchesters.

Gryphon regularly helped Sam with research and often bonded with Castiel over their lives as angels. Claire had taken on Sam as her Mandatory Nerd Friend and they often geeked out over random things. (One time when Dean was coming out of his room to make a snack, he saw Claire riding on Sam’s back at break-neck speed down the hallway with a samurai sword screaming ‘FOR NARNIA!’ He had walked back into his room, locked the door, and has never spoken about what he saw.)

Aside from odd piggy-back rides with Sam, Claire spent most of her time with Dean and/or Cas. Claire had successfully taught Castiel to kill demons without harming vessels, a move she had repeatedly called Moral, Bitches. It was a working title. She had given Dean a good run for his money in the sparring gym they had installed and the shooting range. Sometimes things were tense, being that Claire kept most of her past- even her name- a secret, but they definitely had their good moments.

 

**> >>>>12 DAYS AGO<<<<<**

 

            “Go fish!”

            Dean groaned. “Claire, that’s all you’ve said! I’m calling bullsh-“

            “Whoa Dean, five year old in the room,” Gryphon teased, earning a glare and an elbow in the ribs from his girlfriend.

            “Five and one-ninth, I’ll have you know.”

            Sam chuckled. “Dean, man up and admit you are terrible at this game.”

            “I will not be beaten by a toddler!”

            “Five and one-ninth!”

            There were four echoes of laughter and one petulant glare spread around the room. That’s where they were, Team Free Will Plus Two, crowded around a coffee table during what Claire called Game Night. Sam and Dean were leaning on their sides and the two angles were perched cross-legged on two pillows, somehow retaining posture only given to freakish dolls. Claire, ever the mature one, was sprawled out with her back leaning against Gryphon’s chest and fuzzy sock clad feet thrown casually over Dean’s hip. They had all dressed in sweats for the Claire mandated ‘Chill the F out Before You Die of a Heart Attack’ night of relaxation. Various games surrounded them, including Parcheesi, Sorry- which Dean and Cas shared an amused look at- and Monopoly, not to mention the outrageous number of card decks.

            Dean smacked his lips. “I’m parched.”

“I’ve got drinks!” Claire scrambled to her feet, accidentally-on-purpose jabbing Dean in the side as she went.

Sam seemed very concerned, yet also amused, by her overload of energy. “Should we let her carry glass when she’s this hyper?”

“Probably no,” Gryphon said nonchalantly.

They all chuckled and Gryphon found himself suppressing a smile. It felt good to be a part of something more than just him and Claire. Sure, he loved Claire more than anything, but he came from literally the largest family in the world and it was hard for him to make friends with his life. Plus, though it would take an incredibly advanced truth serum to make her admit it, being with the Winchesters made Claire happy too, and that was enough for Gryphon in itself.

He was startled from his musings by a shout from the door.

“Bombs away!”

Dean yelped as he was hit in the head with… a juice box. Of course it was a juice box. Claire came back in with the requested drinks for everyone else and the Minute Maid Apple Juice she had thrown at Dean. “That’s for the toddler comment,” she smirked and flicked his nose.

“Bitch,” Dean shot at her.

“Dick.” Her reply came just as fast.

“You guys are both children,” Sam chastised without any real heat. “Come on Cas, it’s your turn.”

“We should do these things more often. You know, family nights,” Dean announced as Gryphon handed Cas a queen.

“That would be cool. We could have a movie marathon,” Sam chimed.

“Like Star Wars,” Dean suggested.

“Or Lord of the Rings.” Cas seemed very proud that he had remembered the brothers’ fondness for the series.

As Gryphon commented that he had been meaning to re-watch the entire Harry Potter series, Dean turned to get Claire’s opinion, partially surprised that she hadn’t been talking over them. He stopped abruptly and sat up straighter when he saw her shocked expression.

“You okay?” The others quieted and turned to look at her.

“Did you just call us a family?” Her voice was a mere whisper and an odd, undefinable look danced in her eyes. Dean wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.

“Uh, well, I guess,” Dean mumbled lamely. He was unsure about if he needed to prepare for 5’2” of seriously pissed off 51/9 year old. He knew it was weird that he was already considering them family, but sometimes there are people with whom the normal laws of time do not apply.

Dean was given no more warning before he had a bundle of blue-eyed fuzz wrapped around his waist as Claire tackled him in a breath-knocking hug.

“So, I guess you’re a Winchester now,” Cas said with as close to a grin as he got.

“I don’t think you fully understand the irony of that,” Claire said as she shared an amused look with Gryphon, who was beaming at her.

 

**> >>>>PRESENT<<<<<**

Of course, with the ups came the rock bottoms

 

**> >>>>9 DAYS AGO<<<<<**

It was either really late at night or really early in the morning when the screams started. Dean bolted upright in his bed. With a flutter of wings, Cas appeared in the room. The two of them raced out into the hall, where Sam was standing dazed in his doorway. Dean registered the screams coming from Claire and Gryphon’s room. The three of them raced down to the door. It was locked for privacy but Cas crumpled it inwards with a glare. They stopped in the doorway, horrified and shocked.

Various objects swarmed around the room in a hurricane of chaos, crashing into each other and any surface they could find. In the midst of this havoc was a screaming Claire, lying flat on her bed as she was trapped in a horrid nightmare. Her hands were fisted in the sheets and tears streamed endlessly down her face as she screamed and screamed and screamed. Dean and Sam stood uselessly in the doorway as Castiel flew himself past the mania and to her side.

“Claire, Claire listen to me,” He said, taking her hand as you would a small child. “You have to wake up. You have to wake up now, okay? It’s just a dream. Claire listen to me. Calm down,” Castiel continued to utter out soothing words from where he knelt next to her on the ground.

He was able to calm her down enough that the tornado of objects gradually stopped and Sam and Dean were able to rush over. Dean sat next to Claire on Gryphon’s vacant side of the bed, a fact which he noticed quite angrily. He carded his fingers through her hair like his mom used to do for him and Sam squatted next to Cas and ran a hand up and down her forearm. Together, the three of them were able to quiet her screams to the occasional whimper. Still the tears flowed and she showed no signs of waking.

“Where is Gryphon?” Dean managed to keep his voice low despite his anger at the grey-eyed angel’s absence. He should be here to help Claire.

Sam looked over at the bedside table and picked up the post-it note by the lamp. “Went to get replacement phone charger. Be back soon,” he read aloud.

Dean cursed the terrible timing, and turned to Castiel. “Go get Gryphon and bring him here, fast.”

“No,” Castiel said firmly. “I’m staying with Claire.”

“Cas-”

“I said no, Dean.”

“Call him on angel radio,” Sam suggested before a fight could break out. That was very much _not_ what they needed at the time.

Castiel silently extended his mind to reach out to the other angel. _“Gryphon, you need to come back here. Claire is having a nightmare.”_

There was no reply, as Gryphon appeared beside them immediately. He moved silently to take Castiel’s spot as the older angel moved around the bed to stand by Dean. As soon as Gryphon reached out a hand to grasp Claire’s she visibly relaxed. Her blue eyes fluttered open, filled with pain and tears. Gryphon maneuvered them so they were both sitting on the bed and held her as she shook and cried silently yet relentlessly into his shoulder.

Dean, Cas, and Sam backed away slowly until they were in the hall, not wanting to leave but knowing that Gryphon could handle the rest. He was the only person who really could.

The next morning came and Claire played it off, dismissing any questions and avoiding the topic. Dean couldn’t blame her without sounding like a hypocrite, which Sam oh-so-helpfully pointed out.

“Dean, she’s pulling a total you! She’s acting like everything is fine when it obviously isn’t. It is exactly what you do!” Dean didn’t ask Sam again.

Castiel was also worried, but after being talked at three times by him, Claire started to leave the room when he came in, even going so far as to hole up in her room for three hours.

Since they were unable to talk to Claire, Dean and Cas settled for the next best person to tell them what was running through her head. That is why, after they had had enough of not knowing what was going on, they cornered Gryphon to ask him.

“Gryphon,” Castiel said, his tone leaving no room for debate, “we need you to tell us about Claire’s nightmares.”

Gryphon sighed wearily. Honestly, he had expected this. He was just surprised it took them this long. “I can’t do that. They’re her nightmares, which means _she_ needs to be the one to talk to you about it.”

“She’s not going to and you know that,” Dean nearly growled. “I don’t care if she throws a bitch fit. We need to know so that we can help her if they come again and you’re not around. Would you want another repeat of last night?”

Gryphon winced and glared at Dean. It was a low blow to play the guilt card. He hesitated before conceding. “Fine, but don’t tell her you know.” He took a deep breath and looked up as if he was praying for Claire not to kill him. “You know that Crowley killed Claire’s mom about three years back, she told you that. It was only a bit before the angels fell. That was before I met her.

“After Claire’s mom was killed, Crowley started hunting for her. A few months later, his hell-hounds tracked her down and brought her to Crowley in Hell. Dean, you know about Hell’s torture methods. They did not harm her, but that might have actually been better. They had her sit there, for the Hell equivalent of a century, and made her watch her mother be tortured.”

Dean heard Cas suck in a breath beside him as he ran a hand down her face. The two of the hurt for the girl who they had accepted into their family in only a few weeks, who had wormed her way into their lives without them noticing, who they had given their trust to without even knowing her true name.

Gryphon started again, “I was the one who got her out, just like the two of you. That was how we met, but I would give up knowing her in an instant if it meant she never had to go through that.”


	6. Riddle Me This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is ready to face Crowley, but first they have to find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be uploaded two weeks ago, so I apologize for the wait.

Dean tried hard to ignore the screams coming from the basement. He cleaned all of his guns, he gave Baby a tune-up, and he even spent an hour locked in his room doing research before he got bored. Still, none of the walls could repel the sounds drawn from Claire’s latest demonic victim. After a while he gave up on distractions and ventured back out into the map room. Sam was sitting at his laptop and Cas was flipping through some crumbling old book. Gryphon was nowhere to be seen, but Dean had already assumed he would be downstairs to stand silently by the door that acted as thin barrier between Claire’s monstrous acts and the rest of the world.

            Not long after Dean sat down at the map table to thumb through John’s journal, Claire came prancing in, white shirt splattered with blood. Dean grimaced at the sight. “You couldn’t have changed?”

            She took a bottle of water off the table where she had left it earlier and shrugged. “It would just waste another clean shirt. I have to go back down.”

            “He’s not talking yet?”

            Earlier that week, Dean and Sam had brought home in the Impala’s trunk one of Crowley’s demons. Claire had been down trying to pry information from him for the past four days, only emerging back into the world for brief periods to eat as a form of re-energizing. Over the past four days, she had come out exactly three times. The last time was almost twenty-four hours ago. She always got a bit distracted when she was cutting into some hell-spawn.

            Claire laughed. “He’s talking alright, just nothing useful to us. It is mostly him damning me to hell. He’s not the first, doubt he’ll be the last. I’m going to up my game when I go back down there.”

            “You should try to sleep,” Sam suggested.

            “I can’t give him time to heal himself more than I am right now.”

            No, sleep would not help Claire in any way, shape or form.

            Gryphon strolled in uneasily. “I enacted a sigil do the demon could not use his healing powers.”

            Claire smiled up at him. “You’re the best. But you know what would make you better?”

Gryphon rolled his eyes affectionately. “Bringing you food?”

“You know me so well.”

Gryphon rolled his eyes again but kissed her forehead and left for the kitchen. Claire watched him go with a sated smile.

Dean chuckled. “You’re smitten.”

“You’re one to talk, Curly Fry,” she smirked back at him, sending a sly wink to Cas, who was extremely confused by the gesture, but was wise enough to not ask about it. That would have been an interesting conversation.

“Claire, you really should sleep,” Cas prodded, observing the dark, almost-black bags under her eyes.

She shrugged, but something in her eyes tightened. “I don’t sleep while torturing.”

“Why not?” Dean crossed his arms and shared a quick glance with Cas and Sam.

Claire opened her mouth to respond, but before she got a chance, her eyes focused on something behind Dean’s head. “Guys, what the hell is that?”

They all swiveled around to face it, taking on defensive positions instinctively. There was not one there, and when they turned back to Claire’s seat, there was no one there.

 _‘Damnit Claire,’_ Dean grumbled inwardly.

Sam sighed and picked up his computer. “Leave her be for a little while, she’ll come back to us eventually. Hell, she probably didn’t leave the bunker.” He strode out of the room to finish his search in the library. As soon as he was gone, a flutter of wings signified Gryphon’s arrival.

If looks could kill, Dean would be able to find Crowley real quick.

“What did you say to Claire? She popped in, took her food and disappeared instantly.”

Dean shrugged. “I just asked her why she wasn’t sleeping. From the looks of it, she has nightmares on any given night.”

Gryphon let out a long, suffering sigh, and ran a hand down his face. “Dean, where do you think Claire learned _how_ to torture?”

Dean struggled for an answer, but Castiel was the first to get it. Realization dawned on the angel’s face, followed closely by pity and sorrow. As the emotions paraded across Cas’ face, the truth hit Dean like a blow to the chest.

“Observation,” he breathed.

“Exactly. Torturing brings up painful memories. The nightmares only get worse. That’s why she won’t sleep. She barely even stops moving for a few days after. She eats only to keep her energy up enough to not burn out completely.”

“But she’s a demon,” Dean pointed out, an observation Claire had previously ignored. “I thought demons don’t need to sleep _or_ eat.”

“She’s only half demon. The two halves of her genetic code are constantly warring. It drains her energy enough that she has to do one or the other, or both if she wants.”

“And the other half is…” Dean had been gently prodding for more information on Claire since she and Gryphon had moved in and this was just another one of his subtle attempts.

The grey-eyed angel gave Dean a knowing smile and flew out of the room.  


\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Damn Dean and all of his questions. He can never just let the past be that- the past. He just has to go sticking his nose everywhere. It’s my business what I tell them about myself and when. Even if I wanted to tell them about my experiences, I can’t. She wouldn’t want that and they would never look at me the same. Especially not if I told them the full truth…

Damn it! This isn’t fair! I’m not supposed to have emotions, it’s not in my genes. I didn’t sign up for this human crap.

I glared disdainfully at the picky remains of my food. All of this internal confliction and terrifying humanity banished any form of appetite I had. I pushed the plate away and zapped the dungeon. The demon I had been torturing was where I left him, chained and trapped, bleeding and scarred. Over 50 tally marks littered his skin- one for every question of mine that went unanswered. I felt a wave of satisfaction wash over the lingering pain and horrible memories. That, the scars and fear in his eyes when I approached with my knife, was my own little ‘Claire Was Here’ sign and oh, did I love it.

I’m a monster, sue me.

I twirled the dripping blade in my hand. If he still wasn’t talking, it was time for a tactic change. I moved to stand in from of him, turning his weak head upwards to face me with a strong grip in his hair.

“What is Crowley’s next move?”

I was met with a silence pregnant with contempt. Fine, if he wanted to play like that. My turn. I plunged the blade into his stomach, and his scream rattled the bunker.

I healed the wound, but left the pain. Another question. More silence. Another stab. More healing. Again. Again. Again. Over and over, round and round like a very bloody merry-go-round, going nowhere. All of the repeated healing was taking its toll on me now. What would it take to get the demon to talk?

Could I- no, not in this state without serious damage. But I had to get answers _somehow_. I was running out of patience. This was my best shot.

I steeled myself and got ready to make a really bad decision. That was when the door opened.

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Dean tried not to let how affected he was by the scene before him show. The reddened girl standing in front of the bloodied and weak demon could not be the same girl he had seen wandering around the kitchen at three in the morning in footie pajamas and eating pretzels. It just made no sense.

“Dean? What are you doing here?” Claire looked very uncomfortable with his presence and Dean could easily guess he had the same look.

“I decided to come and make sure you were okay.” He didn’t think she was. His tone was stoic and unrevealing, but his mouth was a hard line. He wasn’t okay either.

“Well, as you can see, I’m fine. So, good-bye.” _Please, go. Please don’t watch this, I’m not as proud as I seem._

“I think I’ll stay for a bit.” _I’m going to be here for you so suck it up. This is what care feels like, get used to it._

“Dean.” _Please don’t see me like this._

“Claire.” _You can’t push me away._

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Why was he doing this? Why wouldn’t he just walk away? I was satisfied with my work, not proud. I didn’t want him to see this.

Somehow, I doubted I had a say in the matter.

Sighing in resignation, I turned back to the demon and away from Dean. I stepped as close as I could without entering the devil’s trap. I may only be half demon, but in my weakened state, I wouldn’t be getting out. I closed my eyes and reached my mind out to his.

He threw everything he had at me. It hurt. Goddamnit, it hurt. I pushed past the numerous defenses and distractions he sent my way, searching out the information I needed. He had buried what I was looking for under all of his thoughts. He was good. I was better.

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Dean pushed off from the table he had been leaning against. Claire’s face was reddening in concentration and she shook with the force of whatever was going on in her head. The hunter approached her cautiously. The air around Claire radiated heat and pulsed with power. An energy swarmed around them, odd and different yet familiar all the same, like an old acquaintance who had been drastically altered through surgery.

“Claire?”

“No response.

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

No. Nope. Not it. Nuh-uh. Where the hell was it? A name, just a name. Wait, it that- Yes! Got it!

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

It seemed like dozens of tense hours before Claire’s eyes flew open. She staggered back and Dean rushed to catch her before she completely lost her balance and went tumbling to the ground. Her form went completely limp and Dean carefully brought her down so he was sitting on the floor and she was leaning on his in support. Claire’s eyelids fluttered and her head hung weakly, much like the now completely dead demon still chained to the ceiling. Dean watched in horror as her chest heaved and she coughed up a mouthful of blood. What the hell was he supposed to do?

Claire knew, apparently, because she whispered out weakly, “Gryphon.” It was a quiet and meek prayer, and though Dean strained to hear it, the angel did not. Before the entire word was out of her mouth, Gryphon was beside Claire with a flutter of wings. He crouched down next to them and Dean helped him transfer the nearly unconscious girl into the angel’s arms.

“Oh, Claire,” Gryphon murmured. “What the hell did you do now? Come on, stay with me.” He continued to mutter sweet nothings and Dean realized that this was what people saw in him when Sam or Cas got hurt.

Suddenly Gryphon lifted Claire off the ground. She instinctively curled into his arms and they flew off, leaving Dean with arms of lead on the ground.

He sat there dumbly for a moment, trying to contemplate what happened, before moving to his feet and leaving the basement, locking the door behind him. Sam and Cas were in the library pouring over some dusty book. Sam was the first to look up, though Dean was sure Cas had heard- or felt- Dean come in much earlier.

“Dean? What happened?”

Dean looked at him oddly for a moment.

“You have blood on your shirt,” Castiel observed as way of clarification.

“Oh, yeah, it’s Claire’s. Well, actually most of it is the demons, but some of it is hers. She worked herself too hard down there, I guess,” he explained lamely.

Sam’s eyebrows sky-rocketed. “Please, for the love of God, do not tell me you left her down there.”

Dean glared at him. “Of course not. Gryphon flew in and got her. I think he brought her to their room. I was about to check on her.”

“No need,” came a voice from the doorway. Dean looked over his shoulder to where Gryphon stood, looking as weary as Claire had. The angel heaved himself into one of the chairs and sat with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. “I gave her some of my energy, just enough to heal her. She’s sleeping now.”

“Hey, buddy, you okay?”

Gryphon sighed. “What do you think? Dean, you of all people know how it is to see the person you care most about, the person you would do anything to protect, on the edge of death. It’s not an okay thing.”

Dean sighed and briefly glanced over at Sam and Cas, who were watching on silently. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“Of course. I pulled her from hell. We have the same bond you and Castiel have.”

Dean shifted nervously. He already had Claire making ‘Destiel’ jokes, he did not need Gryphon to add in. “What do you mean?”

“A connection is formed when an angel pulls someone from hell. It does not always have to be romantic, if that’s what you’re thinking, but it just ended that way for me and Claire.”

“This profound bond thing, it’s pretty strong, huh?” Castiel had never quite explained to Dean what exactly it meant, so he was curious to know, even if he would rather have his angel tell him.

“It’s one of the most powerful things in this world. Maybe the most powerful. It forever connects to people. It can stretch and whither and fade, but it can never disappear, not completely. It is stronger than any emotion, stronger than Death, stronger than God himself. So yes Dean, it is ‘pretty strong.’”

The angel stood. “I should get back to Claire.”

Dean looked back after the angel had flown away and saw Sam had left, probably sometime around when things started to get all weird and angel-y. Castiel was staring at the table with a blank look, but he seemed as nervous as the angel would ever show.

“You never told me that much about the bond,” Dean prompted.

“You never really asked.” Castiel brought his gaze up to meet Dean’s. “Does it bother you?”

Dean shook his head silently, and the part he didn’t want to dwell on was, he meant it.


	7. Who Exactly Did You Pop Out Of?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another piece of Claire's past is revealed...

Ugh…

_The light! IT BLINDS ME!_

I groggily opened my eyes to face the harshness that had awoken me. The first thing I saw was a person standing in the corner. I bolted upwards as survival instinct kicked in, but settled when Dean’s face cleared in my vision.

“And you call Cas freaky,” I grumbled, causing him to jump.

“When did you wake up?”

“Just now.” I looked around, frowning slightly. “Where’s Gryphon?” I wasn’t pouting. Not at all, no siree.

“We had to force him to leave the room and get himself cleaned up. Figures you’d wake up when he was gone.”

“How long was I out?”

Dean sighed and came to sit next to me on the bed, moving his elbows to his knees and hunching over. “Three days, Claire. _Three. Days._ You had us all worried sick.” Dean sighed and I noticed his clammy skin and dark bags. Maybe Gryphon wasn’t the only one who hadn’t taken care of himself.

“Aw, how sweet. You care.”

He huffed. “Don’t ask me why.” He looked me over carefully. “How do you feel?”

“Like a daisy,” I drawled sarcastically. “Totally worth it though, I know who Crowley is going for next.”

“Forget whatever you found, Crowley has probably already found him and moved on.”

“Not from what I can tell. He hasn’t moved yet. The target is some low-lying angel, no name I recognize. He’s not very high up, but he has some connections with the big guys. His vessel is named Seth Patterson, sales clerk from Ohio. I think I have his plates too if Sam wants to track him.”

“That’s pretty good. You got all of that from the demon we caught?”

“I know. I’m amazing. Bow to me.”

Dean laughed and stood, though shakily. “Come on, we can round up the others and be on the road in an hour.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there. You need to sleep.”

“Claire,” he began, trying to dismiss the subject.

I was not having any of that, and I was so not willing to argue with this buffoon. I reached over and thwacked him in the head, hard enough to satisfy my personal whims yet not too hard that anything but my powers was putting him to sleep. Letting him fall back onto the bed, I got up, still clothed from three days ago, and went in search of my angel.

Gryphon was sitting alone in the bunker library when I found him, a book propped up on his lap but I could tell he wasn’t reading a word. I crept up behind him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “Hey,” I greeted softly.

After all of this time, he didn’t startle at my touch, but he did swivel around and pull me over the back of the couch into a bone-crushing hug. “I was worried,” he whispered into my neck, and I squeezed him all the tighter for it.

“Aw, come on, it takes more than a dead battery to get me out of the game.”

“Still, you shouldn’t push yourself to that point. You’re going to fall one day.” He pulled me back by the shoulders to look me in the eye.

“I had to get the info on Crowley,” I huffed half-heartedly.

“I swear Claire, this revenge mission is going to kill you.”

I rolled my eyes, but nonetheless pulled him into a chaste kiss, assuring him that I was still there and I was still safe. When we pulled away he gave me an eye roll of his own, but it was full of affection.

Point 1 Claire.

\- - - - - - - - - -

When Sam walked into the library a few hours later it was to find Claire reading on the couch with Gryphon’s dozing head in her lap, occasionally carding her fingers through his hair.

“Hey. It’s good to see you up,” He greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“Just sunshine and rainbows, peaches,” she joked as Sam flopped down in an armchair and kicked his feet onto the coffee table.

“What book is that?”

Claire grinned menacingly and held the cover out for him to see. Sam’s heart dropped in his chest.

** Supernatural **

**By Carver Edlund.**

“You have got to be kidding me,” he groaned.

“Oh come on, how else did you think I knew so much about you’re lives. Not to mention, Purgatory!Destiel? _Golden._ ”

Sam just huffed and looked up at the ceiling. What did he do to deserve this? “Speaking of my brother, where is he?”

“Taking a nap.”

“Consensually?”

“I don’t believe I said that.” She smirked at him and shrugged her shoulders. “He needed it. What about Castiel? Where is the ‘nerdy little angel’, as Dean refers to him?”

“Probably someplace quieter,” the now awaken Gryphon groaned. “Not to mention with saner inhabitants.”

“You wound me,” Claire deadpanned.

“He’ll come around in a while. Then we can wake Dean and hit the road. That is, if you got the information.”

Claire gave him Raised Eyebrow #16: Bitch-of-course-I-did-that-thing-you-says-who-do-you-think-I-am? “We can go as soon as the princess wakes up.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Dean awoke to a tickling sensation on his face. Subconsciously he bat it away, but it fluttered right back down onto his face. Sensing something wrong, Dean opened his eyes just slightly, only to be met with Claire hovering upside-down an inch from his face. He yelped and scrambled off his bed before his heartrate was able to calm down.’

“What the hell?!”

Claire, laughing nearly-hysterically, flipped herself around mid-air and dropped down to the bed. “That…Was…Priceless,” she said between laughs. Once she had sobered up at least a bit she grinned down at him. “Rise and shine! Come on, it’s time to hit the road!”

She was gone, still cackling, before Dean could even reply. He smacked the floor with his hand and stood irritably. It was hard to believe that same person was torturing a few days ago. Damn bipolar bitch.

Five minutes of quick clean-up later, Dean emerged into the main room where his four companions stood.

“Ready?” Sam seemed a bit antsy, fidgeting with the strap of his bag in anticipation of getting out on the road. Dean nodded in answer and they all picked up their bags and ascended the stairs.

“Dean, are you okay? You looked a bit spooked,” Claire said from behind him and even though he couldn’t see her, he was sure she was smirking her ass off. He had to overwhelming urge to tackle her, but Dean doubted Gryphon would take it too well.

As they walked across the garage to Baby, Dean asked, “So where are we going?”

Cas was the one who answered, “While Claire was sleeping, I extracted the information from her head and tracked the angel. He is being held at a small motel in Boston. Crowley hasn’t gotten to him yet, so we might be able to-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute.” Only then did the other three notice that Claire and Gryphon had both stopped and were looking at them in something akin to panic. “You were in my head?”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Red flag, red flag! Protocol 9235: Panic enacted! Sirens! WEEEwooooWEEEwoooo!

\- - - - - - - - - -

“Yes…” Cas trailed off, growing more confused by the minute.

Gryphon continued, since Claire was on the verge of hyperventilating. “How far did you search?”

“Only to the angel information on the surface. I’m sorry if she felt it was an invasion of privacy, but the information was crucial.” Dean had told him before not to read minds without permission, but it did seem that Claire was acting very strange.

“And you didn’t find anything but that information?”

“No, I didn’t. Your thoughts are very tightly locked.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Crisis averted.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m sorry for panicking, but please don’t do that again. Leave the poking inside my mind for Gryphon in the future.

Dean was giving me an analytical and slightly worrisome stare.

“Now that everything is settled, we should go,” Sam prodded.

“Yeah, be there in a second. I have to talk to Claire,” Dean gritted, his eyes never leaving me. He walked towards me, and then right between me and Gryphon, grabbing my arm to pull me along as he went. Once we were safely out of earshot from the rest of our confused group, he spun me around so we were face to face, his larger form acting as a barrier.

“Okay, this secrets act is getting real old real fast,” he said lowly. “You need to start spilling sometime soon. How does now work?”

“Not ideally, to be honest.”

“What would you know about honesty?”

“I have never lied to you. Everything I told you was true.”

“And the things you didn’t tell us?”

“Just because you don’t know something doesn’t make it false. My secrets are mine and mine alone.”

“Seems like they’re Gryphon’s too.”

“Because I _chose_ to tell him. It is _my_ decision when I tell you something, you don’t get to make that call, no matter how much authority you _think_ you have. I will tell you everything when I’m ready. If you want to know before then,” I paused and leaned in closer to his face, whispering darkly, “you’ll have to torture me.”

I shouldered past him, calling over my shoulder, “Now what do you say we go kill ourselves a king?”

>>>>><<<<< 

According to Castiel and Gryphon, who had been listening in to angel-radio during the small, and cramped car ride, Crowley had yet to attack, or make any form of move against the hostage angel held in the motel. It was unsettling to say the least. It had been three sleepy days and a 20 hour car ride since Claire had gotten the info, plenty of time for him to attack. The king seemed to be waiting, probably for them.

It was just growing dark when they pulled up in front of the motel. Immediately, Claire, Cas and Gryphon all reached out to see if any of Crowley’s demons were waiting for them inside. The fact that they found none was not as comforting as it should have been. The five of them wasted no time. They were out of the car and approaching the motel door with blades, holy water and the barest of plans: Kill.

Sam and Dean kicked down the door at the same moment Claire, Gryphon and Cas appeared across all walls of the room, effectively forming a circle. The angel was strapped to a chair Castiel found very similar to the ones in heaven used to extract grace.

“Come on,” Dean ordered moving to unstrap the angel. “We have to get him out before Crowley-”

“Too late,” Claire interrupted, casting her eyes skyward as thunder cracked above their heads and the King of Hell appeared before them. The angel screamed around his gag as an angel blade appeared in his stomach. When Crowley pulled it out, not a spot of blood was to be seen, but the angel was effectively dead.

“Hello boys. So sorry to intrude, but I got a bit tired waiting around. I have just been itching to meet the new gang members I’ve heard so much about. Although, it seems I’ve already had that pleasure.”

“Aw, do you remember us? I’m touched.” Claire’s voice was perfectly calm and even when she spoke, but anyone could see the storm brewing behind her eyes. Gryphon was tense and silently vengeful from where he stood across the room from her.

“Ah, yes, Claire was it? The demon’s daughter, the hybrid. I’ve always hated your mumsy, she was so bothersome.”

“It wasn’t a smart move to kill that angel,” Gryphon injected before Crowley could continue.

“Oh don’t worry about me. I got my fix before coming over here.” Crowley’s eyes lit with a familiar white tone and two black shadows spread across the walls, perfectly shaped wings.

“The angel was a decoy,” Castiel gritted out.

Crowley took a step towards Claire and she practically growled at him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. My arm tends to stab people on its own accord.”

“Crowley laughed and threw a glance at the others. “Tell me Claire, do you think your mother is proud of you now? That’s why you’re doing this after all. You’re just trying to keep your promise. Taking care of her pizza-man and his two pet hunters.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Crap.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Crowley easily picked up on the confusion coming from the Winchesters and Castiel, along with the anger and anger coming from Claire.

“Oh, your boys didn’t know? That’s no way to build a relationship-”

“Shut up.” One command from the five year old and Crowley’s mouth snapped shut against his will. He stared at her in bewilderment.

“Shut up and stay shut up. I’m not someone you want to make an enemy of, so that was your first mistake.”

Crowley snapped his fingers frantically and his 20 or so back-up demons appeared for him in the room. Claire glanced at them but quickly turned her attention back to him.

“Keep remembering me Crowley, and count the days before the storm comes and I kill you. Sayonara, Your Grace.”

They were gone.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Back in the bunker, Claire turned to the boys. “I guess I’ve got some explaining to do, huh?”


	8. You've Got Mail!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters cope with their new discovery about Claire and Crowley gets a bit sentimental.

guess I’ve got some explaining to do, huh?”

Dean, Sam and Cas were standing in front of Gryphon and me, confused and expectant stares boring into our faces.

“I’d say so,” Dean started, visibly shell-shocked. “Why don’t you start with Crowley’s comment?”

I wonder if I can back-pedal the king’s little slip. “What comment?”

Yeah, no, that wasn’t working. Dean caught onto my game immediately and folded his arms over his chest. “The pizza-man comment. What did it mean?”

I was at a crossroads- figuratively, thank God. I could outright deny everything, keep my secret and lose the trust of the Winchesters; or, I could tell them the truth, come clean and not have to worry about hiding it from them anymore.

The choice wasn’t as easy as you might think.

I shed heavily. Now or never. “In case you bozos haven’t figured it out yet, yes, Meg Masters was my mother.”

Dean blinked at me, Sam decidedly stopped blinking and Cas tilted his head contemplatively.

“Meg Masters as in Meg Masters the demon?” Dean always said the most genius things, did he not?

“No, Meg Masters the shepherd. Yes, the demon.”

As Dean looked away to process this information, I tensed myself to zap out of there if they reacted poorly, which was the most likely scenario. I knew this would happen what I told them. They would never look at me the same way, they would never accept me. How could they? They pretty much hated her and everything she stood for, besides when they were reluctantly working with her against Crowley. Why would they feel any differently about me?

Sam was the first one to recover from the shock. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

_I was afraid you would hate me. I knew you would be disgusted. I didn’t want you to leave me._ “It didn’t seem important.”

It was Castiel who spoke next. “And your father?”

“Hate to break it to you Cas, but mommy dearest wasn’t exactly a nun, or celibate. Even demons get lonely and condoms only have a 99.9% success rate.”

“Your grandfather is Azazel,” Dean growled hoarsely, never turning to face me again.

“Was, before you killed him,” I pointed out.

“He killed our parents.”

“And you killed him.”

“Your mom tried to kill us multiple times.”

“We don’t all become our parents, Dean. You of all people should know that. Also, my mom saved you more times than she tried to kill you. She was the one that told me not to kill you if we ever met, too.”

“So stabbing me,” he said crossly.

“Was a happy medium,” I finished, but my heart was sinking with every syllable that he released my way like a barb. This wasn’t our usual, light-hearted banter that was laced on every word with an underlying fondness. This was him looking for ways to hate me.

He snorted and any thoughts I might have had that he would accept me for this vanished. It terrified me how dependent I had become, how important it was to me that they loved me. I would break if I lost any of them. I knew I wasn’t going to leave them, but they could dump my sorry ass any time they wanted. They could hurt me. That was the problem with our unbalanced relationship. I would always care about them, but I didn’t trust that they would always care about me.

“I’m going to bed,” I said quietly, needing a way out. “’Night guys.”

Sam and Cas both chimed in their farewells, and Cas squeezed my arm with a smile when I passed him on my way out. Dean didn’t even glance my way. Gryphon followed me out, taking my hand in his for support as we walked down the hall to our shared room. Once we were inside, I sighed and flopped heavily down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He smiled softly and came to lay next to me. I rolled into his side, curling my legs up to my chest until I was in fetal position with my head against his not-beating heart.

“What am I going to do now? This could change everything. I don’t want to lose them,” I admitted quietly.

“You’re not going to lose them. Sam and Cas are already coming around and I’m sure Dean will too, in time. You know how he is. He makes a more believable five year old than you.”

I laughed softly. “Really? That’s hard to accomplish.”

“Oh yeah. No one would believe you’re older than three.”

I full out laughed this time and slapped him lightly on the chest. Leave it to Gryphon.

I heard a rustle on the bed and Gryphon shifted slightly before two large, black wings were folding over the two of us, forming a cocoon that would shelter us from the outside storm. I blinked in the darkness and heard Gryphon breath out gently. A tendril of shimmering white grace curled through the air, illuminating our faces in the black. I smiled and watched the strand dance, casting light on his black wings and turning them subtle shades the way the sun would coax out hidden colors in black polish. I traced patterns on his chest as the sight of his grace and the feel of being wrapped in his wings comforted me.

We stayed like that for an impossible amount of time. Alas, our safe haven was disturbed by a gentle knock on the door. Gryphon put his wings back under the shield of safety they normally resided in and breathed back in his grace. I almost pouted at the loss. (Read: I pouted like a baby who’s favorite toy was taken away) Gryphon called out a greeting and Cas poked his head in the room.

Gryphon stood and pecked me on the forehead. “I’m going to let you two talk.”

Castiel stood there awkwardly for a moment before coming to sit next to me on the bed. He jumped into the conversation with all of his typical etiquette.

“I wanted to talk to you about your mother… Meg.”

“That would be the one,” I prompted gently when he stopped.

“Did she ever… mention me?”

I smiled. “Like you were God himself, which wasn’t false for a little while. She really cared about you.”

“I cared about her too.”

I smiled gently. “I know you did. She knew it too, even down in Hell.”

He shifted uncomfortably at my mention of the place where my mother lived in oh-such-class. “I should have come down for her, looked for her. I’m sorry.”

I squeezed his hand gently. “It’s fine. You were saving the world. And she can handle herself down there. She’s a demon after all.”

“You have good genes,” he said with a smile and I grinned at him. There was no doubt in my mind that Castiel was going to stick by me. It was Sam and, most worryingly, Dean I wasn’t so sure about.

“How are the Winchesters taking my little surprise?”

“Sam’s taking it well, as expected.”

I almost didn’t want to ask. Almost. “And Dean?”

Cas hesitated and sighed. “He’s having some trouble. He doesn’t handle change well. I believe you would refer to it as emotionally constipated.”

I chuckled and looked down at my hands.

Cas was quick to reassure me. “He’ll come around. As much as he doesn’t like surprises, he hates losing family even more.” He stopped and stood up, heading towards the door with a squeeze to my hand. “We should get back out there. The sooner the hunt for Crowley resumes, the better.”

As he left, I found myself blurting out, “She called for you.” He turned back to me and I continued hastily, “Down in the Pit, she called for you. To come and save us, I guess. I think after a while I stared calling for you too.”

His eyes clouded over with guilt and regret. “Claire…”

I smiled up at him. “It’s okay. I have my own angel to come and save me.”

 

\- - - - - - - - -

Gryphon watched as Claire and Castiel walked into the main room of the bunker where he was hunched over Sam’s laptop with the Winchesters. Dean was nowhere in sight. He noted happily that she looked brighter than she had before, when she wasn’t sure of their acceptance. Talking with Castiel seemed to help. Claire instinctively moved to Gryphon’s side and ended up on the right of Dean. Gryphon saw her face fall when Dean moved away to get a beer.

“You know what,” he announced. “Dean has the right idea. I’m going to go get a drink. I’ll be right back.” Gryphon squeezed Claire’s hand reassuringly as he left. He knew that she knew what he was _really_ dong, and she knew he knew she knew. One of the perks of being a power couple.

Gryphon found Dean in the kitchen staring down the bottle of his beer. The hunter looked up when Gryphon entered the room, smiling half-heartedly. “Hey Gryph-”

“Shut up and listen to me,” Gryphon ordered, maybe using a _bit_ of angel magic to close Dean’s mouth. The Winchester seemed surprised. Gryphon was normally the calm one of any group, especially when you add Claire into said group. To see him growling and angry was a shock.

“You are going to listen to me. I understand that finding out Meg was Claire’s mother is a shock, and it might have rocked your perfect little black and white, good and evil world. I get that it might be confusing. You think I don’t? I’m an angel dating a demon. Screw confusing. If I think that, for even a second, you are hurting Claire, I will smite you and make damn sure you don’t come back again.”

Dean sighed and nodded warily. Gryphon gave him control over his mouth again and the hunter sat down heavily, moving his head into his hands. He sighed, “I don’t hate Claire. I don’t resent her. And trust me, she blurred my line between good and evil a long time ago.”

“So then what’s your problem?”

“I let her down. I got her mother _killed_. How can she not blame me?”

“She did,” Gryphon admitted bluntly. “Meg whipped her ass back into shape like any good mother being tortured in Hell would. She told Claire that blaming you was the same as blaming her, because she _chose_ to help you. She chose to sacrifice her life for all of you. Keep this in mind, Dean. Some people will die for you. That doesn’t mean they died because of you.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

I watched as Gryphon and Dean came back into the main room. I knew what Gryphon had done and I knew he knew I knew. One of the perks of being a power couple. Dean seemed to be thinking very hard about the conversation. I could smell his brain cells burning. I watched him intently for a moment, before he turned to me. He caught my eye and winked teasingly. I almost hugged him right then and there. Almost. I settled of a smile.

A blip from the computer drew everyone’s attention. A small window had popped up in the corner of the screen.

**NEW EMAIL FROM:[kingofhellsies@thepit.com](mailto:kingofhellsies@thepit.com)**

“You have Crowley’s email?” Everyone looked at Sam as I spoke.

“No…” he trailed off, obviously confused.

“He could have demonically hacked your server,” Castiel suggested.

We all stared at the notification for a moment before any form of patience I might have had ran out. “Well click the freaking message!”

Sam jumped at my outburst and fixed me with Bitchface #29: Stop-being-a-child to which I responded with Raised Eyebrow #14: I-am-a-child-dumbass. He begrudgingly clicked on the message anyway.

_Dear Moose, Squirrel, Angel 1, Angel 2, and Hell Bitch Jr.,_

_Oh how I miss our time together, the memories we share. It touches me right where my bathing suit goes. I’d like to see you again. I’d also like to kill you. But I digress. Tonight at 9:00 I will be at this address: 129 Abbey Road. I have an angel held captive and if you do not show, I will take their grace and kill them. Surely even you lower life forms can understand that. Let the games begin._

_Kisses,_

_Crowley_

“It has to be a trap,” Dean stated.

“Obviously,” Sam agreed.

“Only fools would rush in,” Castiel amended.

“We’d be stupid to go,” Gryphon nodded.

I smirked at them. “So when do we leave?”

 


	9. Bye-Bye Birdie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything can fall apart in an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! June was crazy.
> 
> Kudo, comment, share, bookmark!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Gryphon! Stop elbowing me!"

“Claire, I’m not doing anything.”

“As if! Sam, could you move your seat up for God’s sake?”

“Ask me that when you’re seven feet tall.”

“Claire, I don’t think it would benefit my father for you to have more leg room.”

“It’s an expression, Cas. And Claire, if you don’t stop complaining, I’ll-”

“You’ll what Dean?”

“I’ll turn off the Wi-Fi!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Stay out of it Sam!”

“Dean, the lady on your phone is saying that you have missed a turn.”

“I blame Claire.”

“What? How is it my fault you missed a turn?!”

“Because you won’t shut the hell up!”

“That is no way to talk to a small and innocent child!”

“Small and innocent my ass.”

“You know what-”

“Claire, it might just be best if you stop talking now.”

“You’re supposed to be on my side! Dean’s not the one you’re doing the do with!”

“Oh, I so don’t need to hear about that!”

“Dean, pay attention to the road!”

“Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

“Dick.”

“Insufferable morons.”

Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for the saviors of Earth.

They were all crammed in the Impala, which seemed much smaller now that they were geared up for battle and anxious to get it over with. The three supernatural creatures were crammed into the backseat with Sam and Dean up front. It had already been hours and needless to say, two angels, two hunters and a Claire don’t mix well with small enclosed metal boxes.

The five of them were chasing Crowley’s ‘tip’, armed to the teeth with knives, holy oil- which had all three backseaters uneasy- and of course, their trusty angel blades. The address Crowley sent them led to a large office building. Multitudes of people milled and worked inside, visible through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. A few security guards walked the perimeter and stood outside the main entrance. The large skyscraper looked very much out of place in its rural surroundings.

“Demons,” Castiel observed from his window seat.

Dean glanced at him from the driver’s seat. “All of them?”

The angel nodded in affirmation and Dean cursed under his breath. They would have a lot of fighting to do to get through to Crowley, which was when the real battle would begin. The five Winchesters piled out of the car and stretched their taut limbs, already on alert for the first sign of attack. The security guards did nothing, except share a menacing grin and move aside from the doors, letting their eyes flash black for a blink of time.

It was not reassuring in the least.

They walked cautiously through the desk, keeping carful eyes on the demons and one another. A receptionist greeted them with a malicious smirk at the front desk. “Are you the Winchesters?”

It was redundant. She knew who the Winchesters were; every demon knew who the Winchesters were. Dean nodded tightly anyway.

Her smirk grew. “You have a standing appointment to see His Grace. I’ll take the youth first.”

“What?” Dean reached a hand behind him to grip Claire’s forearm the same time Gryphon did. “We’re not splitting up.”

She gave them a look that could almost be pitying if not for the dancing glee in her coal eyes. “I’m afraid you don’t have that option. His Grace has requested that you divide yourselves into the eldest and youngest from each family.”

Dean clenched his teeth, but the group turned in on itself in a mockery of a huddle. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I,” Sam started and Dean just _knew_ there was a second half coming. He proved him right by continuing, “But we don’t have much choice. We have to split up if we want to get in.”

“Yeah, because splitting up works in every horror movie, crime show, and Scooby-Doo episode.” Despite her remark, Dean could see that Claire had resigned herself to Crowley’s demands.

Dean sighed. “Fine, we’ll split. Youngest and eldest, right? I’m the oldest born Winchester here, so that’s settled.”

Gryphon looked at Castiel. “What day were you created?”

“Six.”

He sighed. “I was created on the fifth. I go with Dean.”

“I’ll go with you two,” Claire decided automatically. “I’m an only child, so I qualify for both.”

The receptionist interrupted from behind them. “His Grace sent down a memo: Hell Bitch Jr. goes with Moose and Dean’s Lover.”

“Just peachy,” Claire huffed. “I guess that makes things clear. I hate this.”

Gryphon glowered darkly at the elevators that would take them up to Crowley. “What’s his game plan?”

Claire laughed mirthlessly. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s getting us at our weakest. Sam and Dean have that whole Best Brothers Forever gig going on, Cas and Dean are in love and don’t even really deny it anymore and then there’s me and you. He’s got us away from the people who would make us strongest.”

Dean shifted nervously. “We have to do this. It’s our only shot right now at getting Crowley.”

Uneasy nods went around the group. They turned back to the receptionist, who grinned smugly at their compliance. “Would the youngest group please go to the right elevator and the eldest to the left? They are enchanted, so don’t try to switch at the last moment.”

They started warily over to the elevator, but before the entered Castiel stopped Claire and Gryphon. “There’s another enchantment. I can feel it. Once we enter these elevators we won’t be able to teleport or fly.”

Claire finished, “We will be completely cut off from fast means of transportation other than that of the Screaming-and-Running variation. The things we do for this world.” She glanced at Castiel. “Cas, could you give Gryphon and me a minute?”

The dark haired angel smiled knowingly and moved to say his pre-mission good-byes to Dean. Claire looked at Gryphon, who seemed about to make a big romantic speech. She pulled him against her in a bone-crushing hug that said enough for both of them. He returned the embrace ten-fold. They had never truly needed words, but a few wouldn’t hurt.

“Be safe,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“Take care of yourself. I love you too.”

They pulled away from each other and the group once again formed a loose huddle, their captain ready to make a pre-game speech. “Okay, once we walk through those doors, there’s no turning back. We go in there, we save the angel, we kill Crowley and we get out. And remember, that demon dies today, no matter what. Be careful and watch each other’s backs. Stay safe.”

They split apart into their respective elevators, the metal doors whooshing shut on their faces.

\- - - - - - - - - -

The elevator dinged after three floors, depositing Claire, Castiel and Sam at the end of a dark, empty hallway. The only light in the hallway came from a slit under one of the office doors at the end of the hallway. The other doors were all opened and the rooms darkened. They each made sure to check inside the rooms as they walked down the hall, guns and blades held at the ready. Claire stopped the boys in front of the door with a raised hand.

“I count seven demons in the room. The angel is in the middle. They don’t know we’re here yet,” she whispered. “Cas and I will pop in the back. Sam, you burst in all dramatic-moose-like.”

They nodded at each other and that was it. Cas and Claire popped in the back and Sam burst in all dramatic-moose-like. The demons surveyed them, seven more blades appearing in the room. The battle begun.

 

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

The view from the top floor was amazing. At least, Dean would have noticed if he wasn’t so preoccupied by the seemingly endless swirling pit that took up the majority of the open floor space and stretched from wall to wall.

“It’s a Hell Drop, as they’re called,” Gryphon announced as they surveyed the drop. “Direct portal to Hell. Once you fall in, not even God could get you out. The ultimate death. There is nothing more final.”

“Can you get us across?”

“I can fly us to the other side on this floor, but you have to realize that things are just going to get worse over there. It takes an enormous amount of power to open a Hell Drop. Crowley’s not going to let it go to waste.”

Dean nodded grimly. Gryphon placed a hand on his shoulder and in a blink, they were on the other side of the drop. In half that time, Dean was thrown against the wall and the ground around Gryphon erupted in a circle of holy oil near the precipice of the drop. A demon appeared in the circle with him, grasping Gryphon by the collar of his shirt and holding an angel blade to his neck.

The king himself emerged from the shadows, clapping his hands in a slow mockery. “Perfect.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

The first demon to move attacked Claire. The others followed suit, three ganging up on Castiel and two more attacking Claire and Sam each. Claire swung her blade at one attacker and successfully parried a swipe from the other. Sam stabbed one demon in the throat and threw a flask of holy water at one who was about to send a blade through Castiel’s back. The angel stabbed one demon while smiting the other.

“Look out!” Claire flung her arm out at the demon who was shaking off the holy water. The motion ended in it being thrown across the room and through a wall.

They had all been so distracted by the fighting that they didn’t notice the eighth demon to appear in the room behind the gaged and bound angel.

“Sorry, but duty calls,” it smirked. A practiced flick of the wrist and a vial that appeared from nowhere robbed the angel of his grace in a second. “Oh, and you might want to get upstairs. If you hurry, you can still catch the end of the game.”

Claire threw her blade at the demon but it disappeared and her blade lodged in the wall.

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Dean struggled against the invisible force pinning him to the wall. It did nothing. Dean was still immobilized against the plaster, Gryphon was still being held precariously above what could very possibly be his doom and Crowley was still standing there with that smug smirk on his face.

“That was perfect, truly beautiful. The way you played into my hands, literally flying into my trap. You puppets danced for me and it was exquisite.”

“What do you want Crowley?” Dean was well aware of how fond Crowley was of his own voice and was hoping beyond hope that the others would finish up fast enough to get their asses back onto safe ground.

“We’re going to play a game Dean. Just you and I. You see, you have a choice to make here and it’s an exciting one, at least for me it is. On the one hand, you could complete your mission. You can get the grace I have harvested so far, I’ll even extract what is inside me. Then you can go home, have a cup of tea, curl up with It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ll stop going after the angels and God. Your quest will be complete.”

“What’s the other option?”

Crowley shrugged nonchalantly, but the malicious mirth in his eyes told Dean he wouldn’t like the answer. Crowley looked over at Gryphon, who was still being held slightly aloft. “Save the angel.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Damn it,” Claire muttered as she pulled her blade from the wall. The now powerless angel looked as if he was about to start spouting questions but Claire was very much not in the mood for that. She silenced him with a wave of her hand.

“He’s going to need help dealing with the loss of his grace. Cas, can you get No-Mojo here to an angel that can help? Sam and I have to get to Dean and Gryphon.”

“Hannah would be very helpful. I’ll take him to her,” Cas agreed.

“Good. Help explain what happened and then meet us back at the Impala. We should be done by that time.” Castiel disappeared with the angel and Claire turned back to Sam. “We should go, and fast too.”

“What if Crowley finds us before we find him?”

“Please,” she scoffed, “as if I would let those two go running off on their own. I’ve been tracking Dean’s footsteps since he stepped in the elevator.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

Dean’s mind whirled as he mulled over Crowley’s ultimatum. He tried to come up with a way, any way, that he could get both sides of the coin but came up empty.

“Here’s how you choose,” Crowley continued. “I’m going to let you down from that wall.” The king snapped his fingers and a demon appeared next to him with a vial of grace. “My demon is going to start running. If you chase after him, the angel will die. If you stay here, he lives.”

Dean felt the pressure release from his body and the smirking demon took off at an inhuman speed down the hall.

“Which will it be Dean? The world or the Winchester?”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Claire pushed open the stairwell door, Sam hot on her heels. “They’re on the top floor. I don’t want to risk the elevator ‘mysteriously’ breaking down.”

As the two of them bounded up the stairs, aided by superpowers and gigantor legs, Claire kept a careful watch on Dean’s movements. Years ago, when they had first met, both she and Gryphon had taken careful time warding themselves against tracking from other beings, even each other. Dean was her only connection to their location.

“Wait,” Claire said, stopping Sam. “They’re on the move. Actually-”

She was interrupted as one of the doors at the top of the stairwell banged open and two sets of frantic footsteps made their way down. The first person visible was the demon they had lost earlier. Dean was right behind him.

The demon smirked when he saw them. “No teams,” he scolded before vanishing.

“No!” Dean leaped down the last steps in a desperate attempt to catch the demon but it was too late.

Gryphon was gone and all for nothing.

“Dean! What’s going on?”

Dean only turned and noticed Sam and- crap- Claire when his brother grasped his shoulder. “Did you find Crowley?”

Slowly, Dean started, “Yes, we found Crowley.” Claire might actually kill him for this.

“And,” the girl in question urged.

“He offered me an ultimatum. Victory… for Gryphon’s life.”

Claire recoiled like she had been struck. Dean hated himself even more with every growing ounce of pain and disbelief in her blue eyes. “So where is Gryphon now? Because I know that you did _not_ sacrifice him.”

“Claire, I’m sorry-” Dean started.

“No, no, no, no, no. You’re lying to me.”

“There… there was a Hell Drop. There was nothing I could do!”

“ _There was nothing you could do?!_ Here’s something you could have done: _Not get Gryphon killed!_ ”

Dean raised his hand to touch her shoulder but she smacked it away violently. To herself, the breaking girl whispered, “I should have stayed with him.”

“It’s not your fault,” Dean reassured softly.

“You’re right.” Claire raised her eyes back to his, the grief and despair overwhelmed by anger and… hate. “It’s your fault.” She spoke calmly, not crying or screaming or breaking anything. She would save that for when she was alone, the only place she could ever be safe. “You had a choice and you chose the grace. You chose wrong. I trusted you and you took everything from me. Gryphon trusted you and you. Killed. Him. This is your fault. He died because of you.”

She took a step back, but Dean felt like it was a mile. “I hate you.”

And then she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Phowy...


	10. Author's Note

So, I have some sad news. Well, it's sad for me anyway. I have decided to put Hybrid on hold for a little while. The most recently updated chapter will be the last one for a while.

I'm not sure if I'll ever continue, but I hope I can. Hybrid was my first story and I still want to share it with all of you. Honestly, I just haven't been inspired for it anymore. I've lost that drive to write it and I think forcing myself is making things worse.

I'm sorry to anyone who is upset by this and I hope you guys understand. I love you guys, and Claire does too. 

Bye peoples. 


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